I just finished installing gentoo using the installation guide. Since I'm using a core2duo, I decided to use grub as the bootloader. The problem is, when I boot the system, grub loads up but I only get a command line. The only msgs I get are "Loading stage 1.5" and "loading grub" (or something similar).
However, if I type:

Code:

configfile /boot/grub/grub.conf

the graphical interface with options to boot gentoo are displayed like they should. It seems grub just isn't reading the grub.conf file unless I force it to do so.

My partitions are as follows:

Code:

/dev/sda1 = boot
/dev/sda2 = swap
/dev/sda3 = root

That's the only hdd (sata) that's present although I plan on adding more sata later.

My grub.conf is as follows:

Code:

# Which listing to boot as default. 0 is the first, 1 the second etc.
default 0
# How many seconds to wait before the default listing is booted.
timeout 5
# Nice, fat splash-image to spice things up :)
# Comment out if you don't have a graphics card installed
splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

I have a problem when I emerge grub, the emerge finish but I read a strange error during the emerging. ( sorry, I will report it...)
Now grub is installed but doesn't locate the kernel inside grub.conf, I must "load" the kernel in command line interface.

i have a problem ,when i try to install grub like gentoo HOWTO,but error like this: "df : .... no such file ....". then i try another method:grub-install --no-floppy --> root (hd0,0) --> setuo (hd0) .it's OK ... so, i want to know why the first method is error?
somebody can answer me ?

I reckon you need to "mount /dev/... /boot" to fix this one. You might need to check owner-group/perms on the complete path (chown / chmod). Grub does not bother with these minor details.

If, as it seems, you are using a seperate /boot partition, you would be very highly advised to NOT have a symlink of "boot" pointing to <current directory> (the ubiquitous single DOT) AND avoid prefixing "/boot" on all your kernel/initrd grub menu entries.

I would also always use ".../grub/grub.conf" and never "menu.lst" - This is the default for Grub/1 (google GNU Grub legacy). Some distros (SuSE as it was) use /etc/grub.conf as a grub "shell script" to do the install and they like to avoid any confusion - hence the strange naming.

Hope it helps and take a peek at the [FIXED] Vista item._________________Volanteer at WereldVenster (Charity for the education of Asylum seekers) as the Network and Systems Administrator.

When grub boots, it looks for a file called menu.lst and you provide grub.conf.

You may think it "nitt-picking", but on booting Grub actually looks for the name you told it to look for. You may not realise that you told it anything at all - but you did.

When Grub is installed, you are usually asked for a "target" to place it on. The sequence

root (hdN,NN)

setup (hdN,NN)

does 2 things: Firstly it tells Grub where on the disk it should operate (the "root") and then it runs a "macro" which calls the commands "embed" and "install" (the "setup"). If you check the man page for the fairly hideous "install" command, you will find near the end either (0,0)grub.conf or menu.lst or your own favorite.

I hope it clarifies things a bit.

Please be aware than you canot keep "symlinking" things together forever - in fact the limit is usually about 5 or maybe even 3. This is to prevent "infinite loops" as in A points to B which points to A._________________Volanteer at WereldVenster (Charity for the education of Asylum seekers) as the Network and Systems Administrator.

Hey guys, same problem - almost.
I did a fresh install with all the recommended partitions used in the previous post. But after install all I get is

Quote:

grub is loading stage 1.5
please wait...

then the screen goes blank and all I get is the '_' symbol at the top left of the screen. I can't see what i'm typing, so what it's there for is a mystery to me.
When I hit enter at this blank screen, it starts loading gentoo, but it gets stuck on the 'ultrastor' module.
So like a good noob I boot up with a SystemRescueCd (its faster than the liveCD), and go to edit my grub.conf

So I delete the first five lines, get rid of all '#'s, and add:
noload=ultrastor at the end of the kernel line.

I save using CtrlO (writeout) and exit using CtrlX, then I restart.
Same problem. So I boot up the rescueCD again, and find that my grub.cong HASNT CHANGED.
help?
Sorry that I explained everything I[/list] did in tedious detail, but I wanted to make sure that there wasn't something vital that I might have not done.

in nano after making a change just hit ctrl-X it will ask if you want to save the modifications, press Y for yes, then it will ask for a file name, hitting enter will overwrite the old file, so if changes are being made to grub.conf hitting enter will write these changes to that file_________________AMD 7750 BE (@3.0ghz) || pci-e 7600GT (@650/800)Nvidia-drivers || 4gb ddr2 || ~amd64(funtoo) ||gentoo-sources-2.6.35-r1

Of course if you are not in a chroot, change /boot/grub/grub.conf to where ever /boot is mounted
i'm not sure what other editor to use, I've been using nano for at least 5 years now maybe someone else can recommend one

EDIT: If everything reports as being writable, I'm unsure as to what is wrong you can wait for someone else to respond or chroot into your install and try setting up grub from scratch to see if it will fix it's self

Code:

emerge grub

if you boot from /dev/sda

run

Code:

grub --no-floppy

device (hd0) /dev/sda

root (hd0,0)

setup (hd0)

quit

'device (hd0) /dev/xxx' is just my personal preference, I have quite a few harddrives I like to be positive it is installing correctly to the right drive. then double check your grub.conf make sure the kernel listed is the exact same name as the one in /boot then exit the chroot unmount and reboot. if you need help to chroot I responded to another post for that http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-5570246.html#5570246_________________AMD 7750 BE (@3.0ghz) || pci-e 7600GT (@650/800)Nvidia-drivers || 4gb ddr2 || ~amd64(funtoo) ||gentoo-sources-2.6.35-r1

this is just becoming too much.
I've tried what you said, but it seems that I'm unable to mount. Something about not getting the permission to do so. I've tried using sudo, i've tried gusessing the admin password. But no use.

Its been fun guys, but I guess gentoo is not for me either (ubuntu wouldn't even boot), maybe its just lousy with i386 laptops, maybe its me.

I read all the relevant sections. Nothing about configuring grub through livecd that helped.

I still reiterate that you have not read the entire handbook. People who are new to gentoo are not supposed to read only portions of the handbook. The installation of gentoo is fairly advanced, compared to most other binary distributions. You will fare better if you follow the handbook very closely.
The "installing grub" portion is here:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=10

You should have never run into mounting/unmounting problems. The question of using sudo does not even arise. It is clearly mentioned in the introductory portions of the handbook that you will be booted as root by default if you use the livecd.

* Checking root filesystem ...
fsck.ext3: No such file or directory while trying to open /dev/ROOT
/dev/ROOT:
The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains ext2 dilesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), the the superblock is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b <device>

* Checking root filesystem ...
fsck.ext3: No such file or directory while trying to open /dev/ROOT
/dev/ROOT:
The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains ext2 dilesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), the the superblock is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b <device>